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Jade
Jade, the Tears of Amaterasu, The Book of the Shadowlands, p. 34 was a blessed precious stone that was able to stave off the corrupting effects of the Shadowlands. Creation The Rokugani religion told Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, shed tears when her children were being swallowed by Onnotangu, the Moon. These tears formed jade when they touched the earth. Dawn of the Empire, by Rich Wulf Tamori Research The Tamori discovered at Serpent's Tail Mine that two angry kami, one of Fire and one of Earth, chased each other until they collided deep in the mountains. Their trails formed a vein of gold and another of iron, and the place where they began to join the trails, a jade vein was formed. Some guessed these two deposits could form jade in an untraditional manner. Secrets of the Dragon, p. 52 Protection from the Taint Natural jade was composed of a mystical combination of elements, balanced in such a way as to achieve divine purity. The best way to be safe from the taint was to never contract it in the first place. The Kuni discovered over the years of studying the taint that samurai who carried pieces of Jade with them seemed more able to stave off the corrupting effects of the Shadowlands. Game Master's Pack; The Hare Clan, p. 10 The blessed nature of jade would keep corruption away from the bearer, but only for a while. The jade absorbs the taint, turning black and soft after a while. Jade was easily available until 1133, and since then there has been a wide shortage. Jade after 1133 was only given to high ranking samurai by their daimyo. Legend of the Five Rings: Third Edition, p. 261 A single piece of Jade, approximately the size of a man's finger, could protect one person from the taint for about a week. The Jade would slowly turn black and soft, as it absorbed the tainting effect of the Shadowlands. The Agasha developed methods of transmuting one substance into another, and created artificial jade, but it was not effective against taint. The Book of the Shadowlands, p. 34-35 A piece of corrupted jade was transformed in Obsidian. Ruins of the Past (Training Grounds Story), by Rich Wulf Jade Works Viewed as a precious material, Jade was often used decoratively. Jade Works were places where skilled artisans would ply their trade sculpting figurines to be sold. Scarcity The Crab had first claim to all jade in the Empire by Imperial Edict. Shinsei's Last Hope, Part II, by Rich Wulf The Crab stores of jade were depleted to allow the march of the Great Clans towards Volturnum. Hidden Emperor, p. 93 Following the Battle of Oblivion's Gate at Volturnum in 1133, Emperor Toturi was forced to ration jade to ensure that the Crab Clan could still perform it's duties safely. Jade Works (Spirit Wars flavor) Later, after the War of Spirits, there were still too few new Jade deposits being found. Jade Works (Gold flavor) Eventually during the reign of Toturi III the Crab had begun secretly dispatching Yasuki emissaries to foreign lands, seeking jade beyond the Empire's borders. Four Winds, p. 97 Composition Jade and crystal shared the trait that they were composed of all five elements in harmony. The Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Part 3, by Shawn Carman The natives of any Spirit Realm other than Jigoku might use jade as a protective item against the controlling nature of foreign Realms. Fortunes & Winds, p. 9 Enlightenment side effect The tainted individuals that became enlightened could not be harmed by jade anymore. It only harmed those who suffered from an imbalance, and an elightened being was balanced. Dark Harmony (Rise of the Shogun flavor) The Rokugani learned it during Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo in 1168. Winter Court Kyuden Otomo 1168, p. 6 Taint Contagion Withhold The jade affected the beings known as the Destroyers, but not as severely as it should. Hiruma Hidora (Path of the Destroyer flavor) After the Destroyer War the taint contagion was withheld as part of the bargain made between Iweko I and Daigotsu. Jade had been getting scarce in Rokugan, but suddenly it wasn't needed to venture into the Shadowlands anymore. Added to the new stocks to be discovered in the Colonies, the price of jade dropped. Book of Earth, p. 87 Category:Rokugani Language Category:Articles with Pictures Category:Precious Materials